NORTH SOUND – Rahkeem Cornwall is well known for his exploits with the bat in domestic club matches in his native Antigua.
Perhaps, it was the familiarity of home and the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, or the slight when the team’s hierarchy placed him at nine in the batting order behind compatriot Alzarri Joseph that gave Cornwall the spark.
But West Indies will be relieved that he was able to unlock this side of his game on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka, after he clubbed an unbeaten 60 from 79 balls to give them a crucial lead of 99 so far.
Cornwall, 28, has scored five hundred and 21 half-centuries across formats at the regional level for Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the West Indies Championship and Super50 Cup, and Antigua Hawksbills and St. Lucia Zouks and Starts in the Caribbean Premier League.
Though his off-spin is the primary role for which he has been picked, having someone such as him appear so late in the order and belt nine fours and two sixes in commanding fashion can prove valuable to the Windies in future battles.
But he recognised that he had let himself and the team down in his previous five Tests, and he was determined to make his intimate knowledge of the conditions count for something and he propelled the hosts to 268 for eight at the close.
“I know I have good batting skills and I tried to bat with Joshua (da Silva) and I backed myself,” Cornwall said.
“It was just confidence. There are a few things I have been working on in the nets with the batting coach and I told myself I have to score runs. I am not showing that I can with the bat, and I think this was the game.”
Cornwall put on 90 for the eighth wicket with da Silva to extend the lead and put West Indies in a favourable place, after Suranga Lakmal captured five wickets to plunge the Caribbean side into turmoil on 171 for seven.
“Joshua steered me through the innings and told me to back myself. I think Josh batted really well and we kept with the momentum that was going with us and tried to take it as far as possible.
“I think we are in a good position. I feel good. We have to come (on Tuesday) and take the first hour, and then we can set up the game as much as possible, so we can have something to run at them with in the second innings.”
Da Silva made a valuable 46 to further enhance his claims on the wicketkeeper-batsman role in the line-up for the foreseeable future and he was one of the cream of the batting on the Tour of Bangladesh that got starts without carrying on.
Kyle Mayers hit 45, fellow left-hander John Campbell got 42 and Nkrumah Bonner added 31 to prop up the Windies batting.
(AR)
